Women's Day Giveaway Scams on WhatsApp
Author: James Greening
International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March every year to recognise the contributions of women in society. Apart from being an occasion for showing gratitude to the women in our lives, it also presents opportunities for scammers to lure unsuspecting people into their traps.
Among the different kinds of Women’s Day scams, Giveaway scams promising free gifts pop up year after year. Below are some of the most viral Women’s Day Giveaway Scams seen till now.
What are Giveaway Scams?
A ‘giveaway’ is the online version of a lucky draw wherein users have to enter their details for the chance to win a prize. Online giveaways have gained popularity as it is exciting to imagine winning a free gift with almost no effort, as most giveaways only require the person to perform simple actions such as commenting on a post or sharing their personal information such as email ID. For brands, it is a relatively cheap way to grow their social media presence as the actions of users such as liking and commenting give the page a massive visibility boost.
Taking note of the popularity of giveaways, scammers have jumped on the wagon too. Giveaway scams involve fake giveaway messages which direct the users to dubious websites impersonating real brands. Their agendas are sinister, for example, stealing personal information to target users with scams, infecting their devices with viruses or getting them to sign up for unwanted subscriptions.
Women’s Day WhatsApp Giveaway Scams
We have come across several WhatsApp Giveaway Scams in previous years where scammers impersonated renowned brands such as Amazon and Adidas. These scams specifically target women by falsely claiming that the brand is holding a giveaway to celebrate Women’s Day.
Take the below example of a fake Amazon Women’s Day Giveaway that was circulating on WhatsApp last year.
It looks quite convincing at first glance but the link included in it is a Tinyurl short link that leads to a fake Amazon page. Curiously, the link could only be opened on smartphones - not PCs - and the page was created to steal users’ personal information.
Similarly, check out the examples of Adidas Women’s Day WhatsApp scams.
The messages show Adidas’ logo and claim that ‘Adidas is giving away 1 million pairs of shoes’. The reality is that Adidas has never held such a giveaway. The links in the messages are random ‘buzz’ domains that lead to malicious websites.
How to Stay Safe from WhatsApp Giveaway Scams
Protecting yourself from Women’s Day WhatsApp Giveaway Scams is simple if you know how to identify malicious links. Keep the following points in mind when you receive WhatsApp forwards about giveaways:
- Never blindly click on links even if it has been sent by your family and friends
- Check the brand’s website and social media pages to know if they are really hosting a giveaway
- If the message contains a shortlink, such as tinyurl, bitly, cutt.ly and others, use a link unshortener to check where it leads. If the link does not lead to the original website, it is likely to be a scam
- Inform whomever forwarded you the fake message that it is a scam so that they can avoid falling for it in the future
The examples of Amazon and Adidas Women’s Day WhatsApp Giveaway Scams show us the ways in which scammers operate. The names of brands may change but their methods often remain the same. With this knowledge, you can now avoid similar giveaway scams that you might have fallen for.
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